1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to a power module of an inverter for a vehicle, and, more particularly, to a double-sided cooling power module including a spacer which has a structure and/or a shape capable of achieving mechanical support and/or electrical connection considering insulation by applying a ceramic substrate a face in contact with a double-sided cooler for electrical insulation of a power module, and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, environmentally friendly vehicles employ a motor as a driving means. The typical motor is driven by phase current transferred through a power cable from an inverter, which converts a direct current voltage into a 3-phase voltage by a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal of a controller. In addition, the inverter is connected to a power module, which is supplied with direct current (DC) power from a battery and supplies power for driving the motor.
Generally, a power module is configured in a form such that six or three phases are integrated into one package. Since a power module generates heat by supply of power, various schemes for cooling the generated heat are applied to the power module for a stable operation.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a power module using a normal double-sided cooling scheme. Referring to FIG. 1, copper plates 120 on the ends of which power terminals 110 are formed are disposed at top and bottom, and a chip 130 is connected to a signal terminal 160 through a wire 140. A spacer 150 is provided between the chip 130 and the copper plate 120.
When the power module is configured as shown in FIG. 1, the internal circuit configuration thereof is complicated, so that it is difficult to implement more than one switch among six switches of an inverter circuit. In addition, since an electric insulating treatment is not performed on the outside thereof, a separate insulating sheet having a low thermal conductivity (e.g., approximately 5-10 W/mK) or the like is required to be applied, so that thermal characteristics are deteriorated. Further, wire bonding is usually used for connection of the chip to the signal terminal, so that, for such a height, a space structure having a wide width is required.